Committee Report | March 2012

Report of

REGENTS HIGHER EDUCATION COMMITTEE

to

The Board of Regents

March 20, 2012

Your Higher Education Committee held its scheduled meeting on March 20, 2012.  All members were present.

ACTION ITEMS

Elyon College Establishment: Associate in Science (A.S.) in Judaic Studies and an Associate in Applied Science (A.A.S.) in Accounting and Business Technology -

It is recommended that the Board of Regents approve a master plan amendment to authorize Elyon College, Brooklyn, to offer A.S. and A.A.S. programs, respectively, in Judaic Studies and in Accounting and Business Technology as its first associate degree programs in the disciplinary areas of the humanities and business.  The amendment will be effective until March 2013, unless the programs are registered prior to that date, in which case master plan amendment shall be without term.

MOTION FOR ACTION BY FULL BOARD

Madam Chancellor and Colleagues:  Your Higher Education Committee recommends, and we move, that the Board of Regents act affirmatively upon each recommendation in the written report of the Committee’s deliberations at its meeting on March 20, 2012, copies of which have been distributed to each member of the Board of Regents.

Other matters not requiring action:

Teacher Certification Performance-Based Assessment.  Your Committee recommends that we formally commit to utilize, for our initial teacher certification performance assessment, a multi-state performance assessment developed by Stanford University’s Center for Assessment, Learning and Equity and delivered by Pearson, instead of a NYSED/Pearson developed alternative.  The Stanford assessment would meet the Board of Regents policy goals while providing several potential advantages:  stronger field credibility, more defensible validity analysis, and more sustainable ongoing rigor. 

Smart Scholars Update.   Your Committee received an update on the progress of the Smart Scholars Early College High School (SS ECHS) Program, and the work of the SS ECHS Advisory Council. In addition to providing policy recommendations, this item will provide an update on the outcomes of the Smart Scholars Early College High Schools. In addition, the discussion will include performance data on early college high schools, and information on the faculty teaching the college courses at the early college high schools, A presentation was also heard by one of the ECHS partnerships, Schenectady Smart Schools ECHS. This SS ECHS is a partnership between Schenectady County Community College (SCCC) and Schenectady High School, which is on of the four SS ECHS partnerships that received Cohort 1 and Cohort 2 funding.

Administration of Ability-to-Benefit Tests for the Purposes of TAP. Discussion held on section 145-2.15. For students first receiving aid pursuant to section 661 of the Education Law in the 2007-2008 academic year and each academic year thereafter, students shall have a certificate of graduation from a recognized school providing secondary education from a state within the United States, or the recognized equivalent of such certificate, or receive a passing score on a (federally approved) ability-to-benefit test identified by the Board of Regents as satisfying the eligibility requirements of this section that has been independently administered and evaluated, as defined by the commissioner in subdivision (e) of this section.

Statewide Plan for Higher Education.  Your Committee received an update on the progress of the Statewide Plan for Higher Education 2012-2020, including the Commissioner’s Advisory Council work.

Accreditation.  Your Committee discussed amending Subpart 4-1 of the Rules of the Board of Regents relating to voluntary institutional accreditation for Title IV purposes.  The proposed additions will help ensure technical alignment with federal requirements for institutional accrediting agencies. The proposed amendment is expected to return to the Regents in May for action.

March 20, 2012